


Second chance

by Phxntomhive



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, I hope the angst stop at the prologue, I just love this trope ok?, M/M, This is in first person because yes, idk where i am going with this, so I put it in the story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:02:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26407672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phxntomhive/pseuds/Phxntomhive
Summary: "Today is the day of the Magic Knight Entrance Exam. I'm not going to be late because of you. Have fun trying to enter next year" said the pretty boy before leaving me.Today is... what?
Relationships: Asta/Yuno (Black Clover), Charlotte Roselei/Yami Sukehiro, Rill Boismortier/Charmy Pappitson
Comments: 24
Kudos: 108





	1. Prologue: Today is...

**Author's Note:**

> Lol I couldn't sleep during my nap time, so I wrote the prologue.  
> I'm just a sucker for this kind of stories so... here is my contribution to the fandom.  
> (I have too many work in progress I am sorry)

html>

I felt my body touching the ground after being hit. We all underestimated the power a free devil would have had once it was free. Dark chains wrapped around me, keeping me still on the ground. I really wanted to believe it wasn't over, that we could still find a way out of the situation. As I struggled trying to get free, I noticed how everything around me was silent. 

Why? 

Everyone was still fighting, did they had to get away to fight the devils better?

The red sky above me seemed to shine brighter when Damnatio came into my vision. At least what remained of him. He always had the look of a devil, but now he didn't even seem human anymore. His anger made him an easy prey of the devils that came out into the world when we failed to save Captain Yami and Vangeance.

When _I_ failed. 

Did everything started to go wrong at that point? Maybe before? 

"How amusing. You are the last one standing. I can put an end to you myself." his distorted voice broke the silence. 

"You are not going to win! We will kill you!" 

_ Not yet. _ We haven't lose yet. We can defeat the demons and avenge our captains. We can avenge everyone that suffered because of the devils. We can't surrender yet.   


Damnatio didn't answer me, but I could feel the chains move me until I was on my knees. I was still struggling when he grabbed my hair and made me lift my head. 

The place that I remembered being always green and full of life, was now burning in front of my eyes, the bodies of too many people lying down lifeless. 

More chains appeared, just to move the bodies next to me...   


A man without an arm, with still some little flames trying to recreate it dancing around the body, his face once beautiful now reduced to only a bloody mask. Little by little, the flames disappeared.  


The little body of a boy, the golden hair and the imperial robe that didn't lose their dignity, showing how the Wizard King was truly amazing, until his last breath.   


Little Marie, always so gentle with everyone, with her eyes wide open, a last scream on her mouth, the Black Bull's robe dirty and burned in more points. Still so pretty, even with that hole in her chest. 

Then another. 

And another. 

_ Until I couldn't remember who they were anymore.  _

After every single body that was presented in front of me I struggled harder, feeling the chains cutting deeper into my skin with every move I made. 

Until at one point, I recognized the eyes of the corpse. 

Eyes I grew up with, that I always searched first in a mob, eyes that I could read without struggling. 

_ Not even in death you are able to not look handsome, aren't you?  _

I didn't notice I stopped struggling until I heard that horrible voice once more. 

" _I have already won_."

I felt my cheeks warm. I suppose that crying does help relieve the pain a little. 

"Wood magic: broken marionette."

My body broke under that spell, out of my control. 

I think I screamed, I'm not really sure. The sound of my bones breaking under the unnatural movements I had to make was stronger than everything into my ears.

I'm sorry everyone.

"Asta! Are you really oversleeping _today_?! I guess you just want to give the title of Wizard King to me easily, did you finally accepted you don't stand a chance again me?"

Why aren't you letting me sleep, Yuno? I'm tired, we fought for years, can you let me rest at least now?

I opened my eyes to insult my rival, his eyes bright as they used to be when we were alive. And yet he looks so young... Why is he so excited? Can we chose how to look like in death? I will chose to be taller than you, you handsome jerk. 

He tried to look calm but I saw he was nervous for something, and a little pissed at me for some reason. 

"Today is the day of the Magic Knight Entrance Exam. I'm not going to be late because of you. Have fun trying to enter next year" said the pretty boy before leaving me.

Today is... _what?_


	2. Family

Getting in line to enter the magic knights exam was surreal. I spent all the waiting time looking around, unable to believe my own eyes. 

Yes, this was definitely the capital, how it looked before the demons entered our world. There weren’t people hiding in dark streets, afraid to be noticed by those creatures, the buildings were all tall and majestic, not a bunch of brick forgotten by everyone, fire wasn’t destroying everything it could find. There wasn’t the smell of blood who I got used to, nor the silence that became the true ruler of all the kingdoms. Now I could smell the products of the market, and there were people chatting happily, the laugh of children, a sound I haven’t heard in years, was loud. 

But most of all, I couldn’t stop looking at the clear sky. I never realized how much I missed seeing the calm blue above my head, instead of that flaming red, who was so bright to hurt the eyes. 

“Asta! It’s your turn, seriously, what’s wrong with you today?”

Yuno looked at me with a worry in his eyes. 

I gave my information to the guy in front of me and entered the place of the exam with Yuno. 

I find myself staring at him. I forgot that he used to have longer hairs. And that there was a time where Bell didn’t always appear next to him just to annoy me. 

I still don’t understand, is my memory so good? Am I just seeing everything once more before dying? Everything seems exactly the same, but if I change what I say, their answer changes too. Am I dreaming of how life could have been? Am I observing a different world from ours?

I stop questioning myself when the anti-birds attack me.

I guess I can delete the dream option, I would never willingly dream of this again. It hurts.

I start to jump around to avoid them, without results.

And then I bunched on someone. I knew who he was without having to turn, after all, everything was happening the same way it did.

“I’ll kill you, little one” 

Captain.

And his murderous aura. 

So powerful, unlike the corpse that I made in spade.

I remember the last words he told me, right before the portal to the underworld opened completely.

_ “Kill them, you are the only one able to do it Asta. Kill those bastards for me too.” _

It was the second time he called my name. And the last one. 

I survived the coming in our worlds of the demons only thanks to Nacht, who transported both of us away from the ritual place. 

Did we really left Vangeance and Yami’s bodies there? I don’t remember that we even had the time to make a funeral for them before seeing the world as we knew it collapsing…

Then I move my attention to the two guys behind the Captain: Finral and Gordon. 

Memories flashed once more in front of my eyes.

Finral lying next to Langris, both of them covered in blood… they were finally getting along like real brothers. Finral’s hand positioned like he tried to protect at least his little brother from that cruel fate.

Gordon on the other hand just disappeared one day, without ever coming back.

_ For how many months did we searched for him in vain? When was the moment we just accepted he would never come back to us? And yet I remember I prayed all the gods I knew even those I didn’t know, I prayed that one day I would just wake up and you would be there, making a new doll for someone of us:  _ if there isn’t a body, he is still alive. _I believed it until the end._

Somehow, the whispers of the other guys around me brings me back to the… present? Past? 

_ Shit. _

What did I do the first time? Why don’t I remember it right now?

Fuck, it’s taking me too much time, what should I do?

“Aaah. Don’t worry man, Captain Yami is like this with everyone… I know he probably scared you but there is no need to cry, I assure you he won’t hurt you… too much.”

_ Crying?Was I crying? _

I touched my face, finding my check wet.

_ What a way to make a second first impression Asta. I can’t imagine which is worst of the two. _

“I’m not scared of the Captain.”

I could hear people laugh. Nothing surprising, they laughed at me for my whole life. I never imagine that there would be a day where I would be glad of hearing them laughing at me. 

For some reason Finral and Yami are more shocked that entertained while tears don’t stop flowing on my face. 

_ They are here. They just talked to me. I can touch them. I can see Finral becoming a better man for Finnes. And Gordon making real friends. Maybe Captain will finally realize how Captain Charlotte feels about him. _

_ If this is really a dream, please, don’t wake me up. _

_ Just for this one time. _

_ Please, I’m begging, just for once. _

_ Let me be happy. _

Yami observe me for a while longer, before reaching the other captains. While they walk I hear a soft murmur.

“Good luck on the exam.” 

_ How many times did I longed to hear your voice out of nowhere? Even as quiet as now. Everything would have been fine. _

“Thank you, Gordon!”

I guess my answer is a little too loud, but he answers me with a little smile on a surprised face. 

We don’t have to wait much before Captain Vangeance uses his magic to give us brooms.

Oh yes, I remember, we had to fly as our first prove. 

Of course, Yuno is already shining brighter than everyone. Fu-ha is out there trying to support me, ready to ask me to fight later, expecting an easy win.

_ But I guess that this time I can make a better show… _

I go under where the captains are sitting, hearing the comments behind me.

_ Is he going to ask them if he can leave? _

_ Maybe he will beg them to change prove… _

_ How can he try to talk with them casually? Isn’t he afraid? _

Why should I be afraid? I know them. I admire them. I cried for their deaths. Talking to them is not hard, they are just like you.

Also what’s the worst they could do? Refusing my request? Like it would be the first time…

“Hey, I can’t use the broom to fly. But I can do it on my sword, can I use it?” 

Ah, I guess they aren’t used to someone being so direct to them yet. It is shown on the faces they make after I, a commoner, dare to speak to them.

“How do we know you haven’t enchanted it so it would fly even without your control?” 

It was Captain Charlotte to recover first from the shock and talk. 

To my much surprise it’s not a direct no. I suppose I took them off guard.

“You can check it, I don’t mind.”

When I noticed Captain Dorothy opening her eyes, I knew they were completely lost.

They probably thought I brought something to cheat and would have chickened out if I didn’t get an immediate yes as an answer.

Everyone fell silent. I didn’t have to turn to know that everyone’s eyes were on me.

After a while the commander of the Purple Orca raised from his sit.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

“I’d like if it were Captain Vangeance to do it. Or anyone else, really.”

I really don’t want a traitor to confirm I am not cheating. Always assuming he wouldn’t just lie to everyone. 

Having called his name, Vangeance flew down next to me, while I took my sword out of the grimoire. Meanwhile the Purple Orca captain sat back down, probably too offended to be able to do anything.

While he analized the sword, without touching it, I tried to feel his chi. 

Thankfully, the one standing next to me was still Vangeance and not Patry. I can trust the Captain, while I’m not sure that Patry would help me right now.

After some minutes, Vangeance nodded and flew back to his sitting. 

“I can’t sense neither external nor internal magic in the sword. I am confident there is no charm on it that would help the boy flying. If no one of the other Captains has anything against it, I will allow you to use the sword. I also admit I am quite curios myself to see what is going to happen.”

Vangeance’s words were followed by silence. 

“Hell yeah, I want to see what the little one will pull off.” 

After Yami spoke, the other Captains too slowly murmured their agreement.

The place remained silent while I tried to govern antimagic for the first time here. It took him some moments to make his presence in my head clear.

_ How do you know how to use it? You never did it before. _

_ Shut up Bob, I am trying to improve my first impression on everyone. _

_ … Bob? _

_ Your fault for never telling me your name in the first place, demon. Now shut up and let me use antimagic. _

I don’t remember who was the first one to decide to name a demon Bob. Gauche? Zora? Maybe Charmy? Whatever, he was never really pleased with the name, but he also never killed me for using it, so I will not stop now.

I slowly felt antimagic flow in my body, until after some minutes I was able to control it a little.

I jumped on the sword, knowing that everyone’s eyes were on me, ready to laugh at me when I fall down.

Jokes on them, I am able to fly up to three meters probably. I suppose this is enough considering the level at which my body is right now. 

I’m still much higher than a good half of you, and I quite enjoy looking at your faces. 

Yuno is still flying higher than me, pretending he didn’t not notice me, but I bet he is surprised too, almost as much as the captains. 

I start to feel the pain caused by antimagic, but I am used to it by now, so I am able to bare it while everyone tries to fly once more, and those who were already flying try to get in a higher position. I guess that seeing the guy attacked by anti-birds being better than you would hurt your pride. Especially for the nobles.

A while later, Vangeance end the first test.

But I can’t really find another smart way out for the tests about controlling your magic power, creation magic and mutating magic.*

Fu-ha remained next to me, not much affected by the fact I was able to fly since I failed the successive tests, ready to ask me to fight with him in the last test. I hoped for a moment that it would have been Yuno to ask me to fight this time, but Fu-ha was faster and our battle just went the same as I remembered. Actually, maybe I hit him harder this time... I guess I should apologize later.

In the end, the Captains started to select the people who would have become the new magic knights. 

I can’t help but still be proud of how all the Captains raised their hand immediately for Yuno, he worked so hard for this, I’m glad they all recognized it!

Next is my turn, but I wonder… will Captain still chose me? I tried to make a better impression during the test but I did cry before, did he take it the wrong way? I could still try to prove him I am worth it but how? Did I mess up everything…? 

I don’t move my eyes from Yami while I hear my number getting called. 

_ Please Captain, I just want to go home. _

“Candidate one hundred sixty-five… three offers?!”

_ What? _

Did I got the wrong number? I’m pretty sure I was the one after Yuno, but I was spacing out and maybe someone else took my number. I look behind me but I only see faces as surprised as mine.

Curiosity wins me over and I look at the offers I received.

Yami has his hand raised, with Gordon behind him nodding in approval. 

The other Captain who had his hand raised was Captain Jack, who seemed to be arguing with Yami about something, but I couldn’t hear them. I was glad to see him alive too. He fought hard against the devils, but in the end, he lost against Megicula.

The last hand was from the Captain of the Crimson Lion. Fuegoleon had a little smirk on his face while looking at me. I was smiling back at him before even realizing it. I always admired him and I was glad I was able to fight by his side until my last day.

“Thank you” 

_ Thank you for fighting for us every single day, until your last day. Thank you for never blaming me for what happened. Thank you for giving me a chance to shine even brightly than before. _

I know it. The Green Mantis would allow me to join better missions and have more relevant jobs.

Joining the Crimson Lion would mean having Fuegoleon’s support, making it almost too easy to be Wizard Emperor. I would have an easy life there. And I could spend my time training with Leo from now and later with Mereoleona too, which would make me become powerful in much less time probably.

I know it, the correct choice is the Crimson Lion.

“I’ll go with Captain Yami, if you will have me!”

_ But the Black Bulls are my family. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I actually watched BC in my own language so I have no idea if these are the correct names for the test lol, pls correct me if they are not.
> 
> Ah the angst. I have no idea if you felt it but I am crying a little hahaha.... if it wasn't clear, Asta is going to be much darker because... you know... he saw his world getting destroyed, everyone around him dying and he died too so... I supposed he is a little traumatized eh... (I really don't understand when in this trope authors make MC happy and joyfull like, girl you witnessed horrible stuff, how are you not in therapy right now?)


	3. Trust

It's almost night time when we arrive at the Black Bulls headquarters. We are welcomed by Magna and Luck fighting, Grey in her big person form, Vanessa drunk on the sofa.

Words cannot describe how much I missed all of this.

“I'M HOME, HELLO EVERYONE”

__

_ Maybe  _ screaming wasn't the best option to greet the others, since Magna and Luck's reaction was to start fighting me.

“Hey! Don't kill the new guy on the first day!”

Thankfully my reflex are still good, and I am able to send their spells right back at them. Both of them are able to dodge them.

The kitchen's wall wasn't.

_ I'm sorry Henry... _

“Oooh that was cool! Fight me! Let's see who dies first!”

“Yo, that was crazy! Can you do it again? What if I throw you more spells all together?”

Luck and Magna begins to ask me tons of questions at the same time. Before I can start answering them, Yami brings back order to the place, making everyone sit quietly in front of us. 

I observe the faces I hold dear while Yami introduces them to me. Not that I have to pay attention to it, since I already know it all. I look at every single one of them, taking care of memorizing every single details I can. For as much as I hate to admit it, I did started to forget these little things about them. I'll make sure to remember everything now, not a single thing has to fade away. 

“Erm... I have a question captain” I can't help but interrupt him while he is still doing the presentations. 

“Where is Noelle?”

I see everyone looking at me weirdly after my question. Yami, on the other hand, tenses at my words, his eyes piercing through me. I don't like how he is looking at me right now. Not at all. 

After what seems to be an eternity, Yami speaks again. “I suppose she isn't here yet. Now, have fun exploring the base, I have a boss to fight in the toilet. Don't disturb me, unless you want to die.”

With that, the captain leave us all in the room, everyone soon start to make a little welcome party for me. I can feel my heart warming while spending time once more with everyone of them. 

It would be perfect, if only I could forget the look that Yami threw at me a while before...

My _second_ first day at the Black Bull starts differently from the first one. The _first_ first day was pretty chill, I got up, trained a little, got to know the others better and went back to sleep. Today, instead, we are all summoned by Yami. 

My instincts tells me it's not going to be a pleasant meeting. The fact that I didn't sleep well thinking of Yami's glare didn't help either. 

When I enter the living room, I see Yami is already sitting there, with a serious expression on his face.

Oh, I really, _really,_ don't like this. 

As soon as we all, except for Henry, are in the room, Yami starts talking. 

“I don't like keeping secrets. They take too much effort. And I also don't like when something is hidden from me. So I'm going to ask it only once” spoke Yami, throwing away the finished cigarette. At his words everyone tenses. I can't blame them, seeing Yami being so serious is quite scary. 

It's not hard to guess that we all are thinking of what we could have done to make him react this way. I try to remember what happened in the past too, but I don't find anything that would make the captain act like this. Not now. Isn't everything going well right now? Maybe there has been problem since the beginning, and the captain just kept it hidden from us? 

Without my control my laboured breathing resounds around the room, while in my eyes flashbacks of the devastation brought by the demons passes by.

_No._  
_It can't have already begun._  
_It can't be already too late to stop it._

A little slap brings me back to reality, Yami now sits in front of me, while his expression is still severe, I can see a hints of worry in it too. Yami's hand goes down to touch mine, that were grabbing my trousers to the point my knuckles turned white. I release the grasp, and notice that there are some drops of blood on them too. 

I feel everyone's eyes on me in the quiet room. I can't blame them for acting this way, captain is making me uncomfortable too right now, I would get suspicious of myself too if I didn't know I am innocent.

“I'll starts with the easy question: how old are you? It doesn’t matter how I look at it, your reactions to fights are way too good for you to be just fifteen.”

All the attention shifted from me to Yami. I can imagine them thinking he is going crazy right now. And yet I am the one that is going to explode. 

“I... I don't know what to answer. I am fifteen, _obviously._ I just did the exam and I was accepted in the Black Bulls, exactly like I remember. I did the exam as soon as it was possible. _But_ I also remember being twenty seven and getting myself killed by a demon. I remember the breathing the corrupted air of a world in which demons took control of everything. And I don't remember _this_ happening now. After I arrived, Manga fought with me and I learned that my sword can also reflect spells. I didn’t know it before, but now I do. I remember Vetto, Patry, Zenon, Vanica and Dante. I remember the pain of each fight and how I learned from them to make myself stronger. And I remember when we fought together to get stronger. I remember how my arm went cold after using too much of Bob's power, while right now I feel it warm. I don't know why, but I don't feel I can give you the right answer... ”

“Don't you _dare_ calling me Bob ever again or I _will_ strangle you”

“Then tell me your real name, _Bob_ ”

“ _No_ ”

I turn to my left to glare at Bob. For some reason he likes to appear always at my left. He is looking at me with such an offended face that I almost burst out laughing.

Almost.

Because I can feel everyone in the room ready to attack both me and Bob, if we try to make a single move.

Ironically, it's Yami that looks the calmest of all, changing his focus between me and Bob.

“Yo, put down the grimoires idiots. Neither of them wants to attack us” says the captain while going back to his chair and taking out another cigarette.

“Ok, I didn't understand a thing of what you said early. So, now you are going to explain everything again. Slowly, and without forgetting a single detail.”

I take a deep breath, then words just come out on their own, while everyone around me listen quietly.

It's evening again, once that I finish my story. My throat is dry after talking all day and my body hurts from remaining sit in the same position without moving.

Yami has finished the cigarette to smoke, and his puzzled looks shows how he is trying to understand everything. I am too scared to look around, but I hear Vanessa's soft cries and Gordon's shocked whispers.

“Drink this la~” Charmy appears in front of me with a glass of water. I take it, noticing that my hand shakes a little. 

As soon as I finish drinking, Charmy puts her arms around me, hugging me tightly. 

“I'm sorry you are the only one that remembers this, la” 

I find myself hugging her back, holding her as close as I can, fearing that she would just disappear in nothing if I let her go. 

“Wait, wait” the heavy silence that was once more present in the room is broken by Noelle. “So you are all just going to believe what he said? How do you know he didn't come up with all of that for God's now what reason?” 

I understand where her words are coming from, I would call something crazy too if it happened at any other time. And yet her words hurt like daggers on my skin. I would like to scream to her that I am not lying, _why should I do it_? Why would I want to hurt you all, you that were the first ones that believed in me without doubts and game me all of your supports? You just heard words from me, I'm the one that sees those scenes every time I close my eyes. The pain you are feeling right now is nothing to the one I am bearing Noelle. 

“He isn't lying.” Yami answers her in a cold tone. 

I can't look at them in the eyes, but I can feel their eyes on me, but if before they were suspicious, now they are pityfull. 

“He truly believes in every single words that he said. Now, whether that truly happened or not... I guess we need the help of an expert.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings! I'm not dead! (And I finally reached endgame point in genshin impact so it doesn't distract me much anymore) Very late happy new year!
> 
> I tried to play with the layout a little, idk if you like this more or the previous one but details.
> 
> Idk if I made it clear but enough but yes, the black bulls trust what Asta explained (that I am not going to reveal all now, because where would go pathos otherwise?), of course Noelle is the one doubting it, she just escaped the Silva's household, let her gain faith in humanity once more.
> 
> I have no idea if someone is still here lol, if you are, I love you


End file.
